Sabre Video Source Help

[Kodiak Kid]

I'm looking for some decent instructional video tapes (VHS) for modern sabre. I bought lessons 1 & 2 from American Fencers Supply and seriously considered sending them back because they are soooo outdated... The Maestro teaches some good basic skills but electric sabre had barely been invented when he made the videos.
Anyone have a good source for modern technique?

Thanks in advance for your constructive input.

[AaronK]

I know of one, but actually I doubt that you can find it, (and it is out of date because they include the fleche- it was made in 92). It is a Video by Vladimir Nazlimov and Sergei Mindergazov that is modern and quite good. The tape was made at the USFA Coaches College in 1992. The video is of Nazlimov giving a lesson, and there is almost no explaination of what you are looking at- but it is in English. The first 5 minutes of the video (discussing footwork) are priceless- I would reccomend that alone to any fencer. The down side is that the instruction is geared towards a very high level student and does not really explain what is going on in the lesson. Even though I owned the tape for 5 years, I had to fence saber for 3 before I really knew what was going on. The material covered in the tape is beyond priceless.
The video covers 4 categories of actions, Offense, Defense against Simultaneous, Actions against point-in-line, and Using Point in line. The first 2 categories are the largest and are the most valuable under the current rules. It is a little less common to see point in line used except to slow an opponent down.
It's the most "modern" instruction I've seen on video for saber.

[Kodiak Kid]

Cool! a response from my twin! (nice pic Bro!)

Thanks. That does sound enticing. I'm going to coaches college this summer so I'll ask around and see if this is available.

[Kodiak Kid]

Wow! Judging from the great silence on this topic I'm inferring two possiblities:
1) There's no good modern sabre instuctional videos out there and a big niche exists for some enterprising expert.

2) Modern sabre can't effectively be taught with a video so no one has bothered to make a product that would be useless to it's intended audience.

Our Division hasn't been very active in the competitive sabre events the last few years so I haven't had much live exposure to it in quite a while, otherwise I would throw myself in the lists and learn by hard knocks.

{sigh}

[AaronK]

There is also another video by Stawicki- (made around the same time and it can be copied from the OTC library) though this one I didn't find so useful as a fencer. It was interesting as a coach, and I suppose you could impliment the skills in a drill. The first half of the video by Leszek Stawicki was a very long seminar by Czajcowski in foil and epee. Not much use for a saber fencer there.
If there is something more up to date, I would like to know about it also. (If it's talking about coaching saber as it has been fenced over the last 5 years).

[Inquartata]

I definitely think there's a market waiting to be filled by some coach.

Alas, it takes some start-up capital, and then if you price it too high it won't sell well.

I wonder too whether coaches aren't reluctant to put their "method" on record for other coaches to study, the better to show their own students how to beat his students...

Anyway, a tape or book is not a real good way to learn fencing, but the advanced lesson can be useful to watch for experienced fencers. I found the Selberg sabre tape useful at one time---less so now ( that's another problem with doing tapes, they're out of date in a year or two at most, as everyone starts doing things a "new" way ).

They're also useful for guidance on how to give a lesson, especially if you aren't a natural pedagogue

[veeco]

Originally posted by Inquartata


I wonder too whether coaches aren't reluctant to put their "method" on record for other coaches to study, the better to show their own students how to beat his students...

I think that's definitely a problem in the US. Remember about a year ago, when our president said in American Fencing that we should work cooperatively? I think that's what she meant.

However, I see very few coaches doing this nowadays. They observe other coaches' lessons at tournaments, but they won't share teaching techniques, or other things.

This is kinda sad, because there are so much good coaches in the US, and they are all trying to fight for the top spots instead of sharing their information with other coaches who might have other things to pass in return...

I guess if they were paid by the club instead of by the students for their time and lessons it would be different...

[Craig]

FencingFootage has some videos of bouts, but nothing for instruction really.

I've sold the Tyshler training CD-ROMs on this site and I still have a few. Email me and I'll send you a link to a couple of sample video files from it and you can see if that's what you're looking for.

Cheers,
Craig

[swordsen]

Hmmmm.... YOu get a lot of good coaches at teh Coach's College and they are all there sharing thier ideas and methods. It is rather unique I suspect. At least in the world of fencing.

[pkt]

Craig,

Pls send me the Link.

I had the Nazlymov tape, but alas, someone borrowed it permanently, where can I buy one?

I have the raw professional tape of the 99 Seoul WC final 4...That was with the light in the old 'Against' way.

PK